Using the term “boot camp” to describe a teaching experience suggests something perhaps not so pleasant—what’s the classroom equivalent of crawling through mud under barbed wire? But teaching a focused bootcamp can be a lot of fun, and it’s actually a nice break from the norm. Students gain a great deal by an intense focus […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inFeatured
Proof of Civilization’s Decline? Teacher In-Services
“All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance.” –Edward Gibbon Audacious barbarians at the gate do not always foretell a civilization’s decline. No, sometimes the changes are small and unspoken in a culture, manifesting themselves in the most surprising of places. Bemoaning a hollow cult of celebrity or decrying the perpetual […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Technology in the Elementary Music Classroom
Technology is an inevitable part of today’s world of education. Each week, I work to balance more traditional activities, such as playing instruments and singing songs, with technology-based instruction. Parents and students (and sometimes even other teachers) are often surprised to find that we use technology in music class. I believe using technology keeps students […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why and How to Start an Interactive Notebook in Math
Last year, I began an interactive notebook in my math class after a lot of thought about the process. I had already begun the school year and didn’t want to change up how I did things but wound up deciding midway through the year to begin interactive notebooks. In the end, the decision to start the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Math Standards in Middle School
I taught middle school math for 30 years. During my career I used many different types of math standards. These standards included school district standards, NCTM standards, a new set of district standards, textbook “programs,” and finally the Pennsylvania state standards. The PA standards very closely resemble the current Common Core standards with one exception. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How To Make Writing a Priority in Your ELA Classroom
For many years of teaching, I would follow the same formula over and over throughout the year with my classes: teach a unit, finish unit, assign paper on that unit. Writing happened, but it was the thing that we did after we did the other stuff. What this means is that writing mostly happened at home, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
[Podcast S1E23] Are Instructional Coaches Needed?
Introduction Welcome to Episode 23 Season one of The Educator’s Room podcast! In this episode, Franchesca discusses the need for instructional coaches in all schools. Being an Instructional Coach is one of the most difficult jobs in a school. While you’re still a teacher, you’re responsible for delivering professional learning to teachers. Listen to the podcast here. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
[Podcast S1E24] 5 Things All Teachers Should Do in the Morning
Introduction Welcome to Episode 24 Season one of The Educator’s Room podcast! In this episode, Franchesca discusses five routines ALL teachers should have in the morning to make their life a little bit easier. So many times we’re in a hurry to get hurry to leave home to get to school and finish “marking off” the […]